Division 1AO'Neill stars before seeing red Longford 0-9 Tyrone 3-15 Longford football was brought crashing down to earth with a bump at Pearse Park as Stephen O'Neill inspired the defending champions to a facile win. It was the O'Neill show right and proper in the first half with three points from play in a sparkling first period putting his stamp on the game. Longford played their best football in that first half and after 17 minutes trailed by just the odd point in five. But O'Neill's brace of points in the 23rd and 27th minutes proceeded to ease his side into a 0-5 to 0-3 lead before a Mark Harte converted free left Longford already struggling. Disaster struck though for the homesters only 20 seconds after the interval when Sean Kavanagh and Brian McGuigan set up Enda McGinley for the first of the northerners' three goals. Within four minutes of the restart, Longford found themselves trailing by 0-3 to 1-8 and playing a major game of catch-up. Longford got some relieve with a brace of points from Paul Barden in the 42nd and 45th minutes but points by Eoin Mulligan, Mark Harte and Brian McGuigan soon put the Ulstermen into a convincing 1-13 to 0-6 lead. Another brace of points by O'Neill was the pre-cursor though for the attacker's sending off after a second yellow card offence. Longford failed to capitalise on their extra man though and a blunder by their 'keeper Damien Sheridan allowed Kevin Hughes to celebrate a goal. With ten minutes remaining Ger Cavlan set up Kavanagh for a third goal to put the icing on the cake for the league leaders. More woe for Dubs Dublin 0-12 Kerry 1-12 Dublin's weakness in attack was once more highlighted as Tommy Lyons' men allowed a resurgent Kerry crew to snatch both league points at Parnell Park. The Metropolitans flattered to deceive in forcing the pace in a first half in which they all but dominated the fight for possession from open play. The homesters were full value though for their 0-7 to 0-2 lead with 26 minutes on the clock with great points by Tomas Quinn, Ciaran Whelan - after Quinn's shot rebounded off the crossbar - and Conal Keaney setting them up for a 0-9 to 0-3 cushioned lead at the interval. However inspired by a Mike Frank Russell penalty midway through the second half, Kerry launched a fierce fightback which eventually saw them draw level at 1-7 to 0-10 with 16 minutes of the second half played. Another fine free by Tomas Quinn seemed to give Dublin renewed impetus. However it was the visitors who proceeded to finish with a flourish and points by Seamus Moynihan and Declan O'Sullivan put huge pressure on the Dubs. Dublin continued on the backfoot 'till the end and a brace of points from the outstanding Russell and a fine Ronan O'Connor point for Kerry served to leave the erratic Dubs once again with nothing to show for their efforts. Fiery Fermanagh salvage draw Fermanagh 1-9 Westmeath 0-12 Fermanagh had to work overtime to secure their first point of the NFL Division 1A campaign after coming from behind to thwart a fitful Westmeath side at Enniskillen. In what was a thoroughly lack-lustre first half affair, both sides were tentative up front and unsure at the back in a real nip and tuck clash. There was some good movement up front though and a couple of fine points, most notably from Tom Stuart Trainor (Westmeath) and Liam McBarron for the homesters. Inspired by top midfielder David O'Shaughnessy, Westmeath enjoyed the bigger share of possession in the opening half yet were held to a draw, 0-6 apiece, at the interval. The second half was a much more entertaining encounter with Dessie Dolan rifling over four excellent points to help the visitors career into a 0-11 to 0-6 lead by the three-quarter-hour mark. However two fine points by man of the match Stephen Maguire for Fermanagh, one from Ryan Keenan and then another good effort by Stephen McDermott had Fermanagh on a roll entering the final 12 minutes. Then a volleyed goal by the aforementioned Maguire in the 20th minute of the second half threatened to turn the game on its head as Westmeath suddenly trailed by one point. But a converted free by Fergal Wilson four minutes from time squared matters as the tension patently increased. Stephen Maguire later spurned a good chance to put Fermanagh back ahead as did Dessie Dolan late on, thus leaving the sides deadlocked at the death. Division 1B Magee leaves Cavan all at sea Meath 2-11 Cavan 0-12 Two opportunist goals by man of the match Raymond Magee proved to be the all-important sucker punches as Cavan were put to the sword by their neighbours at packed Pairc Tailteann, Navan. Magee - who notched 2-3 on the day before retiring to a standing ovation - struck gold in a purple five minute patch which fairly knocked the wind out of the sails of a Breffni Blues side which had started the match in vibrant and confident fashion. The visitors looked workmanlike as they edged into the lead by the odd point in five after 19 minutes with Jason Reilly and forward colleague Gerald Pierson very much to the fore. Meath had opened the scoring with a point by Donal Curtis and three subsequent frees by starlet Joe Sheridan slowly but surely got Meath up and running. At the half-way stage, the Leinster men had forged their way into a 2-4 to 0-6 interval lead, thanks in the main to Magee's majors in the 21st and 26th minutes. Cavan proceeded to gain quite a sizeable bit of quality ball but five bad wides proved disastrous to their cause and only a Jason Reilly free (14th min) kept them in touch. But with impressive sub. Niall Kelly powering Meath forward thereafter, Cavan never looked like getting on terms in the second half despite the accuracy of the aforementioned Reilly who accounted for four points of his side's tally. Sligo slip up Sligo 1-11 Galway 1-11 A classic goal late in second half injury time by Sean Og de Paor secured a rather fortuitous point for visitors Galway in an exciting all-Connacht clash at a crowded Markievicz Park. The goal, five minutes after the end of normal play, was rough justice on the Yeats County who will look at the draw as being a point dropped rather than gained. A brilliant goal by Dessie Sloyan in the 23rd minute was no more than the homesters deserved as they enjoyed a 1-4 to 0-3 lead. Sloyan's goal helped his side edge matters by 1-5 to 0-7 at the interval and with ten minutes to go, the home side were still three points to the good. With Paul Taylor, Mark Brehony and Sloyan firing over some lovely points, it looked like Sligo's day. However three points in a row in the final quarter by Michael Donnellan, Nicholas Joyce and Padraic Joyce kept Galway very much in touch. And the Tribesmen duly succeeded in getting out of jail ultimately with de Paor's late strike. Laois leave it too late Armagh 1-14 Laois 2-8 A very poor first half proved ultra costly for Laois as they suffered their third consecutive league defeat with Armagh proving too consistent a combination at Crossmaglen. Armagh were a class apart in the first half with a hat-trick of points by Steven McDonnell and one special effort from Paddy McKeever helping to ease the Orchard County into a commanding 0-10 to 0-2 interval lead. Laois had early points in the first half from Martin Delaney and Chris Conway but failed dismally to build on them. In contrast things got even better for the homesters on the restart when Paddy McKeever was fouled and McDonnell strolled forward to smack the ball into the Laois net from the resultant penalty. Laois worked hard to get back into the match and sub Paul Lawlor was on hand to find the Armagh net after good work by Noel Garvin. A fine point by Pauric Clancy and then an opportunist goal by Joe Higgins added to the Laois fightback as the third quarter gathered pace. Further points by Kevin Fitzpatrick and Michael Lawlor put Armagh under further pressure and then Colm Kelly with a brace of points suddenly left the spoils in the melting pot. But poor passing thereafter by Laois and a cooly taken point three minutes into injury time by Oisin McConville served to ease Armagh first past the winning post. Lively Limerick leap to top Limerick 2-10 Wexford 1-9 Limerick are on top of Division 1B this morning thanks to yet another impressive victory, this time over a gritty Wexford side for whom Mattie Forde was outstanding in defeat. Limerick got off to a great start with a brilliant goal by Eoin Keating after just three minutes after good work by Stephen Kelly. By half-time the Shannonsiders were almost cruising at 1-6 to 0-2 ahead with good points by John Hudson (24) and Mattie Forde (4) barely keeping the Model County in touch. But three fine points by Muiris Gavin threatened to cut Wexford adrift as the second half got underway. A Maurice Horan goal midway through the second half added to the visitors' travails though and even though Forde got through for a splendid goal to leave his personal tally at 1-5 for the day, Limerick were in no mood to be caught at the post and deservedly held on for another brace of league points. Division 2A McManus strikes key peno Carlow 1-11 Offaly 2-9 A brillantly executed penalty late on by Ciaran McManus helped keep Offaly on the Division 2A promotion trail after a cracking game against Carlow at Dr. Cullen Park. McManus struck gold in injury time at the end of normal time and left Carlow chasing the game for the first time in the match. Carlow had led by four points at the interval. Johnny Nevin was Carlow's best player on the day, scoring 1-2. Offaly's Niall McNamee and Carlow's Simon Rea were both dismissed. Ros get a fright London 2-7 Roscommon 2-12 Roscommon were made work all the way before ensuring that London lost for the third consecutive time in Division 2A after a testing affair at Ruislip. The westerners were thankful to a fine Jonathan Dunning goal which helped give them a useful early six points lead. Later another goal by Nigel Dinneen helped ease Ross's worries. Devenney the star Donegal 3-6 Monaghan 1-11 A majestic hat-trick of goals by Donegal dynamo Brendan Devenney saw Monaghan crash out of the promotion chase in an absorbing tussle in Ballyshannon. Devenney hit 3-1 in total while at the other end Damien Freeman proved a handful for the home defence in shooting 1-4 of his side's tally. The game finished with both teams two men understrength with Niall McCready and Adrian Sweeney being dismissed for Donegal and Monaghan pair Paul Finlay and Jason Hughes seeing red. Banner off the mark Clare 1-13 Leitrim 0-9 Clare picked up their first league points of the season with a well-deserved win over a lack-lustre Leitrim side at Ennis. Leitrim were the better team in the first half and led by a single point at the interval, 0-7 to 0-6, thanks in the main to Michael Foley's markmanship which saw him score 0-6 on the day. Clare, boosted by forward Denis Russell's 1-4 tally put in a resurgent show on the restart and after seeing themselves a goal behind with ten minutes left in the game, rallied to ease their way into the winners' enclosure. Division 2B Brady's goal decisive Waterford 3-8 Antrim 1-16 A 25th minute goal by Kevin Brady was crucial as Antrim secured a welcome away win over Waterford at Walsh Park. Waterford were goal hungry on the day and a Pat Fitzgerald major helped keep the northerners under pressure in the first half. The home side actually nipped in front for the first time in the 61st minute when Niall Cummins pointed but great scores by Madden and Paul Kelly late on helped the Saffrons secure both league points. Brennan the boy for Lilywhites Kildare 0-13 Tipperary 0-8 A five star display by Pauric Brennan helped propel home side Kildare to the top of Division 2B after a gritty win over Tipp at Newbridge. Brennan was in top form with a nine point tally doing most to frustrate the Premier County. Tipp finished with 14 men after Sean Collins was sent off. All rosy in the Garden Louth 1-8 Wicklow 1-11 Louth made sure of their non-interest in the Division 2A promotion race by losing out tamely to Wicklow at Ardee. The Wee County got an early boost when Ollie McDonnell goaled after 14 minutes but they failed dismally to build on that major. The home side's misery was later added to by the dismissal of Simon Gerrard. Down down Derry Down 2-10 Derry 2-6 A late Enda Muldoon goal wasn't enough to prevent Derry from slumping to defeat to Ulster rivals Down at Newcastle. Powered forward by the free-scoring Gregory McCartan, Down had the better of the early exchanges and a Benny Coulter fisted goal helped give the homesters just the leg-up they needed to force the issue. And despite a goal by Conleth Gilligan, after good work by Geoffrey McGonigle, Down showed just too much ambition to be denied both league points. Tweet

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